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We Can't Stay - Alternate Ending
"StarClan, what happened to you?" "I tried to escape." "Why?" "I was trapped... and desperate." Chapter Eight remains the same, up until Stormshine fights with Gorsethorn. The rest of the chapter has been cut out for your connivence. Prompt An alternate ending... to a bittersweet tale. Chapter Eight My leg still aches, but I can move now, and that's what matters at the moment. I've made my way back onto WaveClan territory, by following Smokewhisp's scent. But there is no sight of Gorsethorn, and my eyes are starting to shut when I walk. The only thing driving me forward is Mistshade's gift to me. I have to find him. I will destroy him. For all he has done... it will be a relief. Suddenly, a green flash catches me off my guard. It should, because as soon as I spot it, there's heavy breath on my ear. "You fool. Tell me, how are you not bleeding to death, bellezza?" The sickening stench of Gorsethorn's sweet voice is in the air, and I hiss to disperse it, "There is always hope. Always a way to bring justice." Gorsethorn growls, "It that your reasoning for sending Smokewhisp to protect your precious kits? Touching." How does he... Never mind. I don't want to know. As if reading my mind, Gorsethorn mews, "He attacked me earlier. It doesn't take a genius to put the pieces together." "Is that why you figured it out then?" I lash, my tail flicking. "You wound me, bellezza." Gorsethorn whispers, "But that doesn't matter. My wounds will heal. Your blood may be clotted for now... but if it breaks, you die." I growl, "That doesn't matter. If you die, than we all all be free from the menace you've brought." Gorsethorn widens his eyes, "Menace? My dear bellezza, I am no menace. Aren't you the one who fell for me? Star-crossed lovers, I'd say." "We are NOT star-crossed lovers!" Gorsethorn cackles, "That doesn't matter, my dear bellezza. Just remember: You. Are. Mine." "I will never be yours." I hiss. He grins, "But you are." He whispers, "My aurinko, my luna... You can't escape me." My eyes flash, "I'll kill you." "Like you would even try. You are so very weak, my bellezza." I... He's right. I can't beat him. Not alone... I'm sorry... My heart beats faster and faster. But then, the thought of my kits comes to light. If I give up, I let Gorsethorn go free. I will be letting Gorsethorn kill my kits! "No." I growl, "I may be weak, but I am not a fool. If I do not destroy you... my kits will die." He sniffs, "That was the point in the first place, bellezza." My eyes narrow, "You will die. It will be relief to WaveClan, and to me, for all the torture and pain you have put us through!" StarClan, please be with me! I charge forward, recklessly. My claws are out, and I engage in paw-to-paw with Gorsethorn. It's obvious he's stronger than me, but Smokewhisp has wounded him. It is only by this chance, that I am able to temporarily overpower him. And then, my chance of making through this is crushed. With a surge of power, Gorsethorn strikes up, knocking me off my balance. Eyes bleary, I stagger towards him, but he pins me down, his breath close to my face. "Say goodbye to your kits, bellezza. It's too bad we couldn't have just run away together. It would have made it so much easier." His voice reeks of insanity, and I struggle beneath him, before giving in. I can't win. "I love you, bellezza." "Don't lie to me." Claws rip through me, as I let out my final act of defiance. He steps away, laughing louder and louder. It hurts. Everything is so blurry, and it hurts so much. Screaming in silence, is the only thing I'm doing. It hurts. Paw-steps are hitting the ground, faster, faster. Save me. It rumbles, and the earth quakes. Someone is coming. Coming to save me. I'm dying. Gorsethorn's cackling turns to a snarl, and in my last moments of consciousness, I make out a black pelt, almost invisible in the dark night. Then, just before everything goes white, a set of green eyes meet my own. "Stormshine! Wake up! It's going to be okay! Just hold on!" My voice catches, as I force out one final word. "Smokewhisp..." Epilogue "Nightpaw! Fallowpaw! Featherpaw!" The Clan cheered loudly, and Smokewhisp finally sighed in relief. After all these moons, they were finally old enough to be apprentices. But he wasn't healed. It still hurt. Stormshine should be here. She should be cheering on the kits. Not...gone. As if she could hear his thoughts, Finchbreeze materialized next to Smokewhisp, "I know it hurts." She mewed softly, "But she wanted you to protect them at all costs. You did what was right, Smokewhisp." "I should have been able to save her!" Smokewhisp cried, "I let her die!" Finchbreeze shook her head, "You did what was right. Smokewhisp, she might be gone, but it's not your fault. You saved the kits, just like she told you too." Smokewhisp shut his eyes, his mind already flashing to that fateful night... Paws hit the ground hard, as Smokewhisp ran. He had to get to camp before Gorsethorn, and protect Stormshine's kits. He darted through the forest swiftly, crossing streams, and jumping over branches that most would just go around. "It's going to be okay. I just have to get there first. He only has about an hour's head start..." As Smokewhisp maneuvered through the forest, he did his best to keep his mind steady. He'd need to be calm to save the kits. If he panicked, they'd all panic, and then they'd all be dead. Just as Smokewhisp reached the camp, he crashed directly into his greatest threat. Gorsethorn turned, his green eyes coated in malice, "Oh? Is something... the matter?" Smokewhisp growled, "I don't have time to deal with you." Before the brown tom could react, Smokewhisp sliced his claws through Gorsethorn's back. '' He stumbled backwards, and fell down. ''Smokewhisp turned tail, and burst into the nursery. "Wake up!" He mewed, "Wake up!" Fallowkit and Nightkit raised their sleepy heads. The little she-cat whispered, "What's going on? Where-where's Stormshine?" Smokewhisp felt his heart rate speed up, "There's no time. We have to leave camp, now! Stormshine sent me. We don't have a lot of time!" Nightkit eyed him suspiciously, "Stormshine said to never leave camp again, until we were apprentices. How do we know we can trust you?" Smokewhisp silently cursed their intellect. Luckily for him, Finchbreeze woke up at that very moment, "Smokewhisp? What's going on?" "You're all in danger." He repeated, "Stormshine sent me to get you out of camp! Gorsethorn's-" Finchbreeze cut him off, "Gorsethorn? Oh no..." She leaned down, and nosed her daughter awake, "Featherkit!" Fallowkit looked over at Smokewhisp, "Are we really leaving camp!" Smokewhisp nodded, "All four of you... We need to go!" Finchbreeze carried the still sleepy Featherkit, while Smokewhisp kept Fallowkit and Nightkit in front of him. "Make for the dirt place tunnel! There's a hole in the barrier we can go through!" Finchbreeze mewed, as the ragtag group darted through the camp. They dived through the hole, and pulled themselves out of camp. "W-where do we go now?" Fallowkit mewed, shivering. Smokewhisp looked at the ridge that overlooked the valley camp, "There should be some bushes up there. Come on." Nobody spoke, as Smokewhisp lead everyone up towards the cliff. When they reached the top, Finchbreeze peered down into the clearing. Just as she did so, Gorsethorn entered the camp, his green eyes flashing, even from the height difference. Smokewhisp ushered the three kits into a bush, so he wouldn't spot them. Finchbreeze entered after them, and the five cats lay down. But Smokewhisp couldn't sleep. "I did it, Stormshine..." He whispered quietly, "I saved them. Now please... save yourself..." Finchbreeze looked at Smokewhisp, her eyes flickering, "Stop beating yourself up over it. She wanted to protect Mistshade's kits, and she entrusted you for that." "But she's dead!" Smokewhisp mewed, his eyes clouding, "I should have saved her. If I'd gone earlier... If I'd run faster." Finchbreeze sighed, "You know as well as I do, that there was no way to save her life. You need to move on with your life." "She was my life..." Smokewhisp mewed under his breath. Finchbreeze walked away, unable to comfort Smokewhisp. The black tom shut his eyes, and more memories resurfaced. Memories he wanted so desperately to forget. A scream erupted in the darkness. Smokewhisp's ears flickered, and then his face went slack, "That... That's Stormshine!" Finchbreeze looked up, alarmed, "What?" "Stay here, and protect the kits at all costs!" Smokewhisp cried, "I have to find her!" With that, his paws took off, his only thoughts to find her, before it was too late. As Smokewhisp reached the source of the sound, everything slowed down. The clearing was dark, but he could see Stormshine on the ground, writhing in pain, as blood leaked out of her body. Behind her, Gorsethorn cackled mercilessly. Anger pulsed through Smokewhisp's veins, "You... You monster!" Gorsethorn's laughter became a snarl, as Smokewhisp viciously tore his claws through Gorsethorn's neck. The brown tom fell, and Smokewhisp raced to Stormshine's side, his green eyes meeting her pale blue. "Stormshine! Wake up! It's going to be okay! Just hold on!" Breathlessly, Stormshine let out one final word, "Smokewhisp..." Then her eyes shut, her limbs went weak, and her body became stone cold. Stormshine was dead. ~ In the early evening, Smokewhisp took a walk to clear his head. The memories he'd tried to hard to suppress were coming back, and everything was hitting so hard. He'd spent the last several moons forgetting, but the endeavour turned out to be useless. All he could think about was Stormshine. "I love you." He'd often whisper to himself, "I wish I'd told you sooner. Then maybe... Maybe I wouldn't have had to lose you. A fool's dreams." As Smokewhisp stumbled out of the forest, he found himself on the pointy rock near the ridge. After Stormshine had died, he'd contemplated throwing himself off it. The fifty foot drop would ensure his death. But he'd forced himself to stay alive. He had to protect Nightpaw and Fallowpaw. Stormshine was no longer around to care for them, so the duty had fallen on his shoulders. As he sat on the rock, the sun began to set. Smokewhisp didn't think much of it. We liked sunsets. And then... there was a spark. Materializing from thin air, were two graceful spirits. One dark, and one pale. "S-Stormshine!" The dark gray she-cat purred, and she nuzzled Smokewhisp, "Thank you. You kept them safe." "I should have saved you." He mumbled, "You died..." Stormshine brushed against him, "That wasn't your fault. You avenged me, and now Nightpaw and Fallowpaw have grown into amazing apprentices. You did your duty. Thank you." Smokewhisp sighed, "Stormshine... I tried to save you, I really did. And... I love you." "I love you too." Stormshine mewed gently, "I wish I'd realized that in time. We could have had so many happy years together." "You're here now." Smokewhisp breathed, "That's what matters." Stormshine's eyes clouded, "I'm still dead, Smokewhisp. Mistshade and I... We have to go in the end." Smokewhisp felt himself begin to panic, "I can't live without you! Please stay!" The gray she-cat smiled sadly, "Smokewhisp... I wish I'd realized how important you were to me." They looked at each other in silence, until Stormshine mewed again, "As long as you live, I'll love you." "And as long as you love me... I'll wait for you." Stormshine smiled, and then, she and Mistshade faded back into the air, leading Smokewhisp to wonder if he had dreamed it all. ~ When he returned to camp, it was nightfall. But all was not lost, as two stardust coated figures were playing with two no longer kits. As Fallowpaw and Nightpaw tussled, both Mistshade and Stormshine played with them. As Smokewhisp approached, Stormshine purred, "Hello again. We needed a moment to say hello. It's been far too long. Especially for my sister." Smokewhisp didn't respond. Instead, he buried his face in Stormshine's starry fur, "Don't leave me again! I keep thinking this is my fault!" The gray she-cat looked at Smokewhisp, "It it not your fault. You saved the kits. That was all you had to do." "But I-" "No buts. Smokewhisp, none of this matters anymore. I love you, and that is the truth." Smokewhisp mewed breathlessly, "So... you'll come back? I can't watch you leave again. It feels so dark here, without you." Stormshine sighed, "If I could remain here, I would. But my life has been fulfilled. Everything will work out, I promise." Smokewhisp's voice caught, "I... I can't do it. I need you with me, Stormshine. I'm afraid. Without you, what do I have to live for? Don't go... I need you!" "Oh Smokewhisp. I love you, but..." Her eyes clouded with sorrow, as she looked at Mistshade, before turning back to Smokewhisp. "We can't stay." The End Category:Brighty's Stuff Category:Fanfictions Category:Alternate Universe Category:Finished Stories Category:Worse